Residential Drug Rehab

When a person goes to a residential drug rehab, they will have the greatest degree of support and protection of any type of rehab. They will be shielded from many of life’s problems as well as threats from drug dealers or drug-using friends who may want to stop by their homes. In a residential drug rehab, a person seeking sobriety is very likely to have their best chance of thoroughly modifying thinking and behavior so they can go on to a drug-free life.

Most residential drug rehabs are entered voluntarily and do not confine the person behind locked doors. Therefore, there must be some measure of willingness on the part of the addicted person to achieve a sober life. It’s quite common for many people starting rehab to be somewhat uncertain that a sober life is what they want. That uncertainty is not a barrier to success. Rehab staff have plenty of experience encouraging that limited willingness and turning it into a complete commitment.

For Some People, Residential Rehab Is a Must

A few people who have decided on recovery are highly motivated and have large support systems in the form of family and friends who will support them. These individuals may do well in an outpatient program. Most other people will benefit greatly from the around-the-clock supervision, monitoring and support of residential rehab. This is an important point for family to keep in mind while they are researching and choosing a drug rehab for a loved one.

There are many perils in a person’s day-to-day life when they are trying to break free from addiction. As mentioned, their former drug dealers want to keep them as customers. Drug-using friends may seek their company or the drugs they used to get from this person who now wants to escape this earlier life. A residential rehab, especially one that is some distance from home, provides a much-needed buffer between these influences and their effort to get sober.

These influences also point out the necessity for completing a rehab program fully before going home. It’s necessary to possess all the skills possible to avoid the temptation to start using drugs again.

Starting Rehab with Detoxification

There are two ways to enter a residential drug rehab. The first is by way of a medical detoxification program. This may be needed for a person who has been using high quantities of drugs that could cause fevers, delirium or seizures during detox. Alcohol and benzodiazepines are included in this group. A person with health issues may also need a medical detox before rehab.

The other way to enter a drug rehab is directly, before detoxification. Most people entering a residential drug rehab have drugs circulating in their systems as they walk through that door. Before they mix with other students or start any counseling or other services, they need to be sober. As long as the drugs they were taking do not present a danger of seizure, fever or other serious problem during withdrawal, most people can take this path.

Residential drug rehabs offer supervised withdrawal care for each person when they first start. Each one needs special monitoring during this difficult time.

The detox period is never easy, because many people dwell on the pain of the past during this process. At a Narconon residential drug rehab, close work with the staff and nutritional supplements known to support detox make this transition more tolerable for many.

Brightening Outlooks, Brightening Futures

Once each person is free from the immediate effects of the drugs they were using, they still carry with them a toxic load of drug residues from past use¹. These residues contribute to Post-Acute Withdrawal Symptoms (PAWS), a misery of mood changes and cravings that can last for years.

The Narconon New Life Detoxification Program may help some people with PAWS. This proprietary process that includes time in a low-heat sauna, moderate exercise and nutritional supplements that support deep detoxification is each person’s first step in this program. During the daily sweating in the sauna, each person’s body is helped to flush out old, stored residues. At the end of this process, each person can have a brighter, better start to their new sobriety.

Letting Go of the Past

The past is a painful zone for someone in rehab. Few people like to dwell on the trauma and anguish they suffered. Many people have overdosed multiple times before they arrived in rehab. Or perhaps they spent time in jail. Others have lost friends to overdoses. If they have a way to put the past behind them, they have a better chance of seizing a sober future for themselves. An effective residential drug rehab must offer its participants methods that help them to envision a better future.

Each person on the Narconon program completes a series of exercises that helps them to gain greater control over their emotions and actions. As they achieve this improvement, they can also gain a greater perception of the present time environment. The past slowly loses its grip on each individual.

More Life Skills for Stabler Sobriety

In the past, those who have been addicted fell short when they needed to make ethical choices in life. Now, those in recovery must gain the skills to deal with drug dealers or drug-using friends if they show up. They also need to gain skills like the following:

• Solving problems that come up in life
• Dealing successfully with setbacks or losses
• Rebuilding relationships that were damaged
• Becoming more productive and positive
• Recovering one’s integrity

Different residential drug rehabs approach the development of life skills in different ways. Some use counseling sessions. Others encourage involvement in the rehab community to guide personal growth.

At Narconon rehabs, these skills and others are the subject of targeted life skills training courses. The job of the Narconon staff is to supervise each person’s progress and ensure that each lesson sinks in fully before the student goes on to the next step. It’s very likely that every student is going to need to exercise every skill they learn if they are to retain their sobriety.

After Residential Drug Rehab

After rehab, each person faces some significant challenges. They may need to return to school, get a new job, find a new home, and restore broken relationships—the list can be daunting. For that reason, before graduation, it’s vital to make a plan on how to approach these changes after leaving rehab. Each person should also receive aftercare—support from rehab staff that continues after the person gets home. A family checking out a residential drug rehab should ask about aftercare. Family should also be ready to offer their support during this time.

The Narconon Graduate Officer is the person keeping in touch with each Narconon graduate to answer questions and provide advice and encouragement. This follow-up support generally goes on for months.

Residential drug rehab is the most desirable choice for many people seeking new, sober futures because they can dedicate themselves to this goal and receive around-the-clock support. Few people change their lifestyles and way of thinking in the first few days or even the first few weeks. It can take time, supervision and counseling to help each person over this barrier to their recovery. For these people, residential drug rehab is the successful choice.

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